Artificial bait.



E. J. & E. M. RT.

-ARTIFI f APPLICATION r En 1, i913.

1,1 1 3,361 Patented oct. 13, 1914.

Atto rn eys lUNITED STATES PATENT oEEIcE.

EDWARD J. LOCKHAET 'AND E`VELYN M. Locimnnfr, or GALESBURG, MICHIGAN.

ARTIFICIAL BAIT.

Specicati'on of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 13, 1914.l

Application filed August 21, 1918. Serial No. 786,025.

respectively.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a novel and simple attachment for a buoyant or lotative hook-carrying bait body, and providing oppositely disposed inclined water passages at the sides of the body, whereby it may be made to dive and travel under the surface of the water, when drawn forwardly by means of the line.

It is also the object of the present invention to provide'an attachment of the nature indicated which will impart a sidewise or lateral thrust to the body, when drawn through the water, in order that the body will simulate the movements of a wounded minnow or live bait.

With' the foregoing general objects outlined and with other objects in view, which will be apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the present invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of constructon hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that chan es in the precise embodiment of the inventlon herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit` of the invention.

The invention has been illustrated in its preferred embodiment in .the accompanying drawing, wherein z-Figure- 1 is a side elevation of the improved bait cir-lure. '/Fig". 2 is ya longitudinal-section thereof'. Fig'.` 3-is a front end view of the device, on a slightly enlarged scale. Fig. 4 is-,a perspective view of the device. n j I Incarrying out the .present invention, reference being had in detailto the drawings,

' there is provided a bait body 14 constructed i ished in any desirable manner to lure or atof wood or other buoyant or iotative material, and preferably of, siform or ovoid contour, the surface of the bodybeing lintract the larger fish. The body 1 is provided at its forward end with an eye screw or other means 2 for the attachment of the line 3, in order that the body may be readily lrawn forward through the medium of the lne.

The improved attachment is preferably fashioned from a strip or elongated plate of .sheet metal 4, the body of which is of arcuate form so as to t the bottom of the body 1 adjoining its forward end with the terminals of the strip or plate 4 disposed at the sides of the body. The strip or plate 4 is 'attached at its intermediate point to the bottom of the body l, by means of a screw or j other securing member 5, passing through an aperture provided in the strip 4 and taking into the body, whereby the will be clamped snugly against the ottom portion of the body. The terminals of the plate 4 are curled or bent back outwardly to provide the tubes or water passages 6 at the sides of and independent of the body. The tubes 6 are tapered rearwardly, and their "axes are also inclined rearwardly, to carry out the functions desired.

A detachable-weed guard may be employed, similar to that disclosed in the copending application Serial No. 782,972. The weed guard is bent from a length of suitable 'wire, the wire having its intermediate portion twisted into an eyelet or loop 8, and being bent back to provide divergmg arms 9, andgthen having its terminal portions bent angularlv from the arms 9 to provide 'the antennae or feelers 10 for deecting weeds or other foreign matterout of the path lof the hooks carried by the body.V The weed guard is detachably carried by the body 1 by means of'a spring tongue 11 fashioned Y from a stri of metal, the tongue 11 resting snugly against the bottom of the bodyil adjoinin its forward end, with the rear end of t e tongue 11 clampedbetween the intermediate portion of the strip 4 and the body; The'screw 5- is preferably passed securing member 12 is passed through an aperture provided in the tongue'll directly late 4 l through the spring-tongue 11, and a screw or in advance of the stri or member 4 to hold the forward end of t body. The'tongue 11 is provided with a crimp or transverse corrugation 13 adjoining its forward end, or directly in advance ofthe'screw'12, the eyelet or loop 8 ofthe e' tongue against the weeed guard being normally engaged vby the l crimp or corrugation l13 to pivotally support the guard. The arms 9 of the weed guard are bent or curved to conform to the bottom of the body 1, to thereby limit the rearward movement of the weed guard, and to provide a compact and desirable arrangement. lt is evident that the weed guard may be readily detached by loosening the screw 12, so that the loop or eyelet 8 may be slipped out of engagement with the forward end portion of the tongue.

The weed guard is desirable when the bait is employed in weedy water, suchl as lily ponds,y and the like, and it is preferable to remove or omit the weed guard when the bait is employed in open waters.

The body 1 carries any number of suitable hooks, a pair of hooks 14 being loosely earried by the bottom of the body 1 as illustrated in the drawing, and a tail or trailing hook 14 being carried by the rear end ord tail of the body, although it is understood that the number or arrangement of the hooks is of no particular moment. ylhe hooks 11i and 14: may be of the single, type, and the hooks 14C are preferably attached to the body 1 as disclosed in the aforesaid co-pending application.

In using the im attachment descri ed and bait is cast in the usual' fashion, and will .float under ordinary conditions when thei line is slackened. Bypulling or jerkin the line, through the medium of the fis ing pole, orreel, the bait-may be made to dive under the surface of the water, in an efficient manner, this resulting from the passage of the water through the tubes 6. It is evident that the inclination of the tubes 6 will give a downward thrust to the body when the body is drawn forward through the water, and

consequently, the bait will travel under the surface of the water as long as the line is drawn forwardly. The depth to which the bait will descend or submerge, depends upon the velocity'at which the line is drawn, and after the line is slackened, the bait will rise tothe surface. The tubes 6 being oppositely disposed, or being arranged at the sides or opposite portions of the body, will impart a sidewise or lateral motion to the body, when the body is drawn through the water, in order thatl the bait may simulate the movements of a minnow orlive bait, especially as when pursued by a largersh. The tapered form of the -tubes 6,A will establish a resistance to the ready flow. of the water therethrough, as the bait is '.drawn through the water, and this resistance established by the oppositetubes, will vafry in practice, when the bait is drawn through the water and as a result of the variance in the resistance provided by the two tubes, the body ofthe bait will be given a tendency to move laterally or sidewise. Thus, should theV resistance offered double or treble.

roved bait including the l illustrated, the s l carrying body,

by one tube, be reater than the resistance offered by the ot er, due to natural conditions in the passage of the bait through the water, the bait body will be moved to one side, due to the drag created at one side by that tube providing the greatest resistance to the passage of water therethrough'. Thus, the tapered form of the'tubes, and the positioning of the tubes at the opposite sides of the bait'body, will cause the bait to simulate the movements of a minnow, when the bait is drawn through the water.

rillhe present attachment will efficiently carry out the desired functions, whereby the bait, as a whole, will serve as an attractive lure for the larger fish, enabling the fisherman to quickly attract and catch the large fish, it being understood, of course, that the larger fish 1n attempting to bite or swallow the bait, will'be snagged or caught bythe hooks, The body 1 may also be made in various sizes or styles, for attracting various species of fish, and the present invention is otherwise susceptible of alterations or modifications, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is `1. In an artificial bait, a buoyant hookcarrying body, and a member attached thereto and provided with inclined water passages at the sides of and'y independent of the body. z

2. 'In an artificial bait, a buoyant hookcarrying body, and a member attached to the bottom thereof and provided with rearwardly inclined water passages at the-sides of and independent of the body.

3. ln an artificial bait, a buoyant hookcarrying body, and tubes carried by and '1ndependent of the body and arranged at opposite portions thereof.

4. In an artificial bait, a buoyant hookcarrying body, and inclined tubes carried by and independent of the body, and arranged at the sides thereof. Y

5. In an artificial bait, a buoyant hookand-a member having its intermediate portion attached thereto and from the spirit of having its terminals provided with water passages.

6. In an artificial bait, a buoyant hookcarrying body, and a sheet metal strip attached at its intermediate portion thereto,

and having its terminals bent to provide water passages at the sides of the body.

7. In an artificial bait, abuoyant hook carrying body of fusiform contour, and an arcuate member havin its intermediate portion attached to the body, and having its terminals provided with rearwardly in- 1flie'd water passagesl at the sides of the 8. In an artificial bait, a buoyant hook las carrying body of fusiform contour, and an larcuate sheet metal strip 'attached at its intermediate portion to the bottom of the body, and having its terminals .curled back to provide rearwardly inclined tubes at the sides of the bod 9. In an artificial bait, a buoyant hook- Carrying body,

opposite the body,

10. In an artificial bait, a carrying body,

portions of and independent of buoyant hookand a member having its intermediate portion attached thereto and' having its terminals provided with tubes at opposlte portions of thebody.

1l. In an artificial bait, a carrying body, mediate portion attached thereto, having its terminals formed with inclined tubesat the sides of the body.

and a member attached thereto and provided with' Water passages atits buioyant hookand a strip having its interl l2.. Inan artiiioial bait, a buoyant hoolicarrying. body of fus'iform contour, andl an 80 portion to the body, and having l as our own, we haveV hereto aIiXed our signal 35 tures in the presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD J. LOCKHART. EVELYN M. LOCKHART.

Witnesses z y,

SIDNEY DUNN, CARL CLAPP. 

